Thanks to my relationship with SweatPink, a small, bright orange box with funky typography all over it, arrived on my doorstep, free of charge, about a month ago! I was so excited to open it up.

Following the latest trend of “surprise sample” boxes that have become popular with beauty products (e.g. Ipsy, StyleBox, etc.), the BuluBox is a monthly subscription of vitamins, supplements, clean snacks, and other health-related samples. You can pick from their classic box of healthy supplements, and their weight-loss box which has weight-loss specific samples in it. They tout themselves as:

Bulu Box is the first health, nutrition and weight loss discovery box designed to help you feel your best. Each month, you’ll get a custom box filled with a new mix of 4 to 5 premium samples from top brands to try. Every sample is sufficient enough to decide if the product is right for you.

Sounds pretty cool, right?!

My box, which I assume is the Classic box for the month of August 2015, included the following:

Fusion Jerky All Natural Lemon Pepper artisan chicken jerky

RUNA ginger-citrus guayusa tea

Simple Being Nutrition Simple Dietary Supplement

MOVIT Energy Gummies

Earth’s Care Anti-Itch Cream

Confession

I have been dragging my feet on writing this review.

I feel so blah about the contents in the box that I’ve struggled to come up with the words for a proper review. I also find it difficult to review because it’s not really one product; it’s a box of several products in small, one-time use, sample sizes. The BuluBox is different each month, so it’s a challenge to review a sample of samples. I don’t want to sound pessimistic or unappreciative, but I also refuse to lie to my readers. I’ve had a very good run of product reviews on products I absolutely love, so I guess there had to be a dud somewhere! But, as in everything, there are some positives.

PROS

There is a pretty big variety of items here, and I appreciate that it’s not just a box of goodies for runners, as these “healthy” boxes often seem to cater to. The tea was delicious. I personally do not like jerky, but my husband and 5 year-old shared the bag. They liked it for most part but my husband did say, “it’s too sweet…as most “artisan” jerky tends to be.” The anti-itch cream is AMAZING.

CONS

I didn’t try the gummies and have also pawned those off on my husband, but he’s been benched from running with a broken toe the past couple weeks. I also didn’t try the dietary supplements because 1. I don’t do supplements, and 2. it seems completely pointless to try a one-time sample of a dietary supplement because how could you ever know if it actually works.

That covers the individual products, but again, if you were to order the BuluBox you would receive a completely different grouping of samples each month. The cost of the subscription is $10 each month, which you can buy in 1, 3 or 6 month blocks. If you buy the full year, it drops the price down to $9.17/box. I received my box for free, and let me tell you, it was worth free. Maybe $4. And even then, I feel like the only things that were worth paying for was the jerky and the anti-itch cream. The other items are the usual freebies they hand out when you attend a health and/or fitness fair.

If you want to try BuluBox yourself, use the code “SWEATPINK” for 50% off a 3-month subscription.

Overall

If the box I received is truly a typical box for BuluBox, I say skip it. For $10 each month, go to your local health food store or running store, and pick out a couple full-size items to try instead. Supplements are a very tricky business—some things can work, some can be dangerous, and some are just downright fake. I don’t see how a one-time sample can prove one way or the other as most supplements, like medicine, need to build up in your body over time before you feel them working.

In terms of subscription boxes as a whole, I think they are an awesome idea when it comes to beauty. A sample of mascara or lip gloss typically has about 8-10 applications worth, so you really do get an opportunity to decide if you like the product or not. Just as Jamberry gives you multiple manicures-worth of product and a full-size polish in their StyleBox.

I just don’t see how BuluBox can compete unless they get way more generous with their offerings.

Have you tried BuluBox? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comment section!

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Ugh, I truly feel bad that my review for BuluBox is so negative; however, it’s my honest opinion. At the very least, I hope this review increases your trust in me that when I say I love a product, I truly LOVE a product. Check out some of my favorite products! ~Meridith